Shanghai Rummy

Shanghai Rummy or California Rummy is a great variant of rummy that you can enjoy with your family and friends. If you are interested to play this game, you can learn how to play Shanghai Rummy at JungleeRummy.com! Get comprehensive details on the game rules and learn the game in quick and easy step!

Gameplay of Shanghai Rummy

Shanghai rummy is played with standard decks of 54 standard cards with to four players. When more than five players join in, three decks of cards are used. The Jokers used in the game are 2s in black suit along with Wild Jokers.

Every game has ten hands and the rules to play each are different. Once the dealing starts, the person to the left of the dealer becomes starts dealing in the next hands. Every player is dealt 11 cards and the remaining cards are placed unveiled on the table as closed pile. Just like in other rummy games, one card is placed face up to form the discard pile.

When the game starts, each player has to pick a card from discard pile or closed pile. If a player wants to get a card that doesn’t belong to him, he as to say ‘buy’ before the next player’s turn. If the player fails to do so, he is considered dead during the game and cannot pick any cards. A player can buy two cards in each hand. When a player takes the card with two additional cards, the buyer gets a total of three cards.

Melding in Shanghai Rummy

Every player has to form the correct group of cards or ‘lay out’ the cards to win the game. The melding is different in different hands. The melding is usually in the combination of sets or sequences. The concepts of sets and sequences are similar to Indian Rummy games where a group of three Kings forms a set and group of 5, 6, and 7 form a sequence. Melding takes place during the gameplay. Each player picks and discards during the game to form the right set of sets and sequences.

Types of Sequences in Shanghai Rummy

The different types of sequences used in Shanghai Rummy are mentioned below:

• Three of a Kind – Two aces and a set of three cards

• Two sets of three cards

• One set of three cards and a sequence of four cards

• Two sequences of four cards

• Three sets of three cards

• Two sets of three cards and one sequence of four cards

• One set of three cards and two sequences of four cards

• Three sequences of four cards

• One sequence of seven cards and one set of three cards

• One sequence of five cards and one sequence of six cards

How to Win in Shanghai Rummy

The game goes on till a player “goes out” or plays the last card in the game. The game gets over when the winner, during his turn, has drawn a card and goes out without discarding, the winner gets no points and the other players count the points in their hand. The player who scores the least in seven hands wins the game.

Card Points

All the different cards carry different points in Shanghai Rummy. The individual points of different cards are mentioned below:

• Cards 2 to 10 carry 10 points each

• All the face cards carry 10 points each

• Aces carry 15 points

• Jokers carry 25 points

• 2 of Spades and Clubs carry 50 points each

As you have seen, Shanghai Rummy is a great game to play! Try your luck in this exciting variation and have great fun! To know more about and other variation of rummy, visit the ‘Rummy Variation’ section and learn more about other rummy games.